Semaphore switch-stand.



No. 767,088. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904 A. A. STROM.

SEMAPHORE SWITCH STAND.

APPLIOAI'ION FILED MAY 31, 1904.

no MODEL, 2 EHEET8-SHEET 1.

J52 W672i??? 126 .222? Z2? 32 70722 PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

A. A. STROM.

SEMAPHORE SWITCH. STAND.

APPLICATION FILED MAY a1, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ill-ll E lul [III-Ill Ill UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL A. STROM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO PETTIBONE, MUL- LIKEN & CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SEIVIAPHORE SWITCH-STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,088, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed May 31, 1904. Serial No. 210, l12. (N model.)

To t, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AxnL A. STRoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Semaphore Switch-Stands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of semaphore switch-stands in which I the semaphore-signals, composed of a counterweighted swinging arm and a rotary lamp,

are connected with a switch-stand to be actuated by the latter in throwing the switch through the medium of gears in a housing at I5 the upper end of the switch-stand spindle.

. The more important objects of my improve ment are to insure accuracy in the turning of the lamp-signal by causing it to describe a true quarter-turn in accordance with that of 2 the switch-stand, to relieve the switch-stand spindle oi the weight of the casing carrying the signals and containing the signal-actuating gears by supporting the casing on a ladder inclined relative .to the switclrstand spindle 5 and upon which to ascend to the signals and utilizing the ladder as a bracing medium for the spindle, thus enabling the latter to be extended to any height desired for the semaphore without danger from instability of, the

3 structure, and to provide a semaphore switchstand of improved construction in matters of detail.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken view in elevation of a 3 5 semaphore switch-stand embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a similar view of the same, but presenting a side at a right angle to that presented by Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 2, viewed in the 4 direction of the arrow and enlarged; Fig. i, a view in side elevation, partly sectional, of the semaphore-gear casing; Fig. 5, a perspec tive view of the junction-collar 'i'or connecting the upper end of the switch-stand spindle with the yoked extension thereof, passing vertically through the casing to engage with the lamp-standard thereon; Fig. 6, a similar view of the smaller of the two gears in the casing; Fig. 7, a similar View of the other gear; Fig.

8, a view in elevation of the yoked extension 5 of the switclrstand spindle; and Fig. 9, a similar view of the same, regarded at a right angle t0 the representation in Fig. 8.

A is a switclrstand of any suitableconstruction, involving a vertical spindle B, carrying an operating-lever C. The spindle B, which, as indefinitely represented, may extend to any desired height-say up to twenty-four feetis shown to comprise three sections, the lower section a forming the spindle of the switch stand proper, having joined to it a tubular section 7), to the upper end of which is coupled in the manner hereinafter described a yoke-section 0.

D is the signal-carrying casing with a ro- 5 tary shaft (Z extending horizontally through it and carrying on one projecting end the semaphore-arm E and on its opposite projecting end the weighted arm F. From one corner of the casing there projects downward at 7 0 a suitable angle a vertically-slotted sleeve 0 to admit the upper end of a tubular rod 1, seated at its lower end in a socket g, fastened, like the switch-stand, to head-blocks F, the rod extending inclinedly and being provided at intervals with rungsf", forming the ladder G. l/Vhere the rod f enters the socket a, the latter is constructed to clamp it about the rod by bolts it, passed through flanges It, flanking the slots in the sleeve. Thus the casing is carried, at least mainly, by the ladder and without material, if any, strain upon the switch-stand spindle.

The intermediate section Z) of the spindle is screwed at its upper end into a collar '5, hav- 5 ing a reduced section 21, containing an angular extension 2' of the cylindrical threaded opening in the body of the collar, to receive the lower end of the upper spindle-section, which enters the socket portion of the larnp- 9 holderor support It, rotatably mounted on the casing D, to which holder the spindle-section is securely fastened by a transverse pin eyas are the mutually overlapping sections of the spindle in the collar a" to the latter by atransverse pin 0). The collar hears about its reduced section against the lower end of an annular flange l at the base-opening in the eassponding extent with it.

ing, through which the spindle passes into it, and the upper end of this flange affords a bearing for a segmental gear on, secured to the spindle-section 0 and meshing with a similar gear m on the shaft (Z. Between its ends in the casing the spindle-section 0 is formed with or expanded into a loop or yoke 0', through which the shaft (Z passes, whereby the spindlesection is adapted to cross the shaft without impediment thereto and without obstruction by the shaft to turning of the spindle, this construction enabling the use of a third gear to be dispensed with for meshing with the gear m to turn the lamp-holder it? with the spindle B.

From the foregoing description of my improved construction it will be apparent that the prescribed quarter-turn of the spindle B necessarily effects a corresponding extent of turn of the lamp-signal on the holder 70, because the spindle is continuous throughout, the yoke 0 enabling it to be thus formed and a third gear dispensed with for connecting the lamp-standard with the gear on the shaft (Z as hitherto to cause the turning of the spindle to turn the lamp. An important advantage of my improvement in this behalf is due to a reduction in the number of gears employed, since gears produce lost motion and the fewer thereof employed the greater the reduction in the amount of lost motion; but by my improvement the lamp is independent of the gears and is therefore unaffected in turning by any lost motion due to them, since the spindle engaging the lamp-standard is continuous, so that the lamp .must turn to corre- Furtherrnore, the ladder being separate from the spindle besides carrying the casing and parts thereon relieves the spindle of the strain of being as hitherto used as a ladder and enables it to be extended to any height required for the semaphore without rendering the structure inadequately, stable.

The yoke construction of the spindle, whereby it is enabled to clear the shaft (Z, is advantageous however the casing may be supported,

and my invention is therefore not intended to be'limited in that behalf to the particular manner shown and described of supporting the casing. Moreover, the construction may be variously modified in its details from those herein illustrated and described without departure from my invention, and the switch-stand may be omitted where it is desirable to use the casing independently, as on a station, with the spindle depending into a room therein into to envelop the yoke-section of the spindle and the casing actuated by the spindle to turn the shaft.

2. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of a switch-stand having its vertical rotary spindle provided with a yoke near its upper end, and a semaphore comprising a casing supported to envelop the yoked section of the spindle and carrying a lamp-support engaged by said spindle to turn with it, a shaft journaled in the casing, passing through said yoke and carrying the signal-arm, and intermeshing gears in the casing actuated by the spindle to turn said shaft.

3. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of a vswitch stand, a ladder inclined relative to the switch stand spindle, and a semaphore comprising a casing supported on the upper end of the ladder at the corresponding end of said spindle, carrying a lamp-support and containing a rotary shaft carrying a signal-arm, and connections between the spindle, shaft and lamp-support for turning said shaft and support by turning the spindle.

4. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of a switch-stand having its vertical rotary spindle provided with a yoke near its upper end, a ladder inclined relative to the switch-stand spindle, and a semaphore comprising a casing supported on the upper end of said ladder, enveloping the yoked section of said spindle and carrying a lamp-support engaged by the spindle to turn with it, a shaft journaled in the casing, passing through said yoke and carrying the signal-arm, and intermeshing gears in the casing actuated by the spindle to turn said shaft.

5. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of a switch-stand having a continuous vertical rotary spindle formed of sections joined endwise together with a yoke in the uppermost section, and a semaphore comprising a casing supported to envelop the yoked section of the spindle and carrying a rotatable lamp-support connected with the upper end of said yoked section, a shaft journaled in the casing, passing through said yoke and carrying the signal-arm, and intermeshing gears in the casing actuated by the spindle to turn said shaft.

6. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of a switch-stand having a continuous vertical rotary spindle formed of sections joined endwise together and comprising an intermediate section joined to the spindle proper and carrying at its upper end a collar, and an upper section containing a yoke and confined at its lower end in said collar to connect it rigidly with the intermediate section, and a semaphore comprising a casing supported to envelop the yoked section of the spindle which ITO passes through it, a rotatable lamp-support surmounting the casing and engaged by the upper end of said yoked section, a shaft journaled in the casing, passing through said yoke and carrying the signal-arm, and inter-meshing gears in the casing, one secured on the spindle-section therein and the other on said shaft.

7. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of a switch-stand having its vertical rotary spindle provided With a yoke near its upper end, a ladder-socket supported adjacent to the switch-stand base, a tubular bar pro vided at intervals With rungs and forming a ladder supported at its lower end in said socket to incline relative to'said spindle, and a semaphore comprising a casing having a sleeve in which the upper end of the ladder is secured to support thereon the casing, said casing enveloping the yoked section of the spindle and carrying a lamp-support engaged by the spindle to turn With it, a shaft journaled in the casing, passing through said yoke and carrying the signal-arm, and intermeshing gears in the casing actuated by the spindle to turn said shaft.

8. A semaphore switch-stand comprising, in combination, a switch-stand having a continuous vertical rotary spindle formed of sections joined end Wise together and comprising an intermed iate section joined to the spindle proper and carrying at its upper end a collar, and an upper section containing a yoke and confined at its lower end in said collar to connect it rigidly with the intermediate section, a ladder inclined relative to said spindle, and a semaphore comprising a casing surmounted by a rotatable lamp-support and supported on the upper end of the ladder With said collar at the open base of the casing and the yoked section of the spindle passing through it into engagement with said lamp-support, a shaft journaled in the casing, passing through said yoke and carrying the signal-arm, and intermeshing gears in the casing, one secured on the spindle-section therein and the other on said shaft.

AXEL A. STROM.

In presenceof F. M. WIn'rz, VVALTER N. WINBERG 

